Voyager: The Path Ahead
by Goldmoonrider
Summary: The crew of the U.S.S. Voyager have finally returned home. But they've come to a quadrant at war with a highly evolved race called the Takons who have raged war on the Alpha Quadrant, and now must find a way to stop the war from hurting everyone they love. Will they win, or find themselves deep in a war with no end but death?
1. Chapter 1

Earth. Home. It's bright face stared at Janeway and her crew from the view screen. Some of the crew gasped in awe, others cried silent tears behind their consoles. The sight of the rising Sun bringing day into the beauty of the Americas almost pained Janeway with joy. Down below, her former fiancee Mark was probably playing with his one year old daughter Joy and Kathryn's cocker spaniel Molly.

"Wow..." Up at the tactical station, Harry gazed with wide eyes at the view screen, memories twisting around in his mind. Those of his parents, his bedroom in the basement, his first flight through space with his father. All the memories of a normal childhood sprang to life in that one moment in every mind on Voyager.

Even a few memories in Seven of Nine's own head popped up, as though the memories suppressed by the borg suddenly remembered who they were. Memories such as Anika playing on the shore of the Atlantic ocean with her parents, playing with her sheep dog Jake, and gazing at the stars with her father. But, being part Borg still, she reduced her memories to a minimum so the emotions wouldn't take control.

"Everyone," Janeway's voice flooded through the com system and out of everyone's com badges. "Welcome home."

Down in Sick Bay, B'Elanna gasped with a bright smile and gazed up at her husband who stood at her side. "We did it. We made it home."

Paris, who's eyes were on his new baby daughter in his wife's arms, chuckled and cooed at the child who's eyes were as wide as a nebula. "You're gonna see Earth, little one," He chidded and pet his daughter's bald head.

The Doctor, who had just finished cleaning everything up from the delivery, sighed and glanced at the young parents. "I guess now I'll be deactivated until you all need me again." He murmured loudly, but the two didn't seem to notice, being so busy carrying for their new baby.

In the Cargo Bay 2, Echeb and Naomi sat in separate chairs, both anxiously awaiting for the moment when Seven of Nine would walk through the doors and tell them they were home. Neither had ever seen the Planet Earth and were crazily dreaming of what it might look like up close.

"What do you think it looks like?" Naomi asked in a curious tone.

Echeb looked up from his PADD. "I've studied images of Earth, so I know it is a small planet with the dimensions of a sphere-"

"No, what do you think it'll look like, as in how pretty it will be?" Naomi corrected herself and stared at the older boy.

"I can only guess it will be just like most other planets we encountered in the Delta Quadrant." He replied and looked back down at his studies.

Naomi sighed and went back to her own reading.

Back on the bridge, Voyager's captain stared at the large sphere she had come to know as Home. It hasn't changed a bit, and it glowed in space like a lantern. The moon sat to the right of the Planet and seemed to smile at them from afar.

The whole crew could only imagine how it would feel to finally be back on the ground a of the place they had longed for so many years. Although, most of the Vulcans on the ship would head back to Vulcan almost immediately after they touched Earth's surface.

Now it was only a matter of what happened after all the parades and homecoming. All of them knew they would have to find a place back in Star Fleet, and many of them, like B'Elanna and Tom, would probably go off to start a new career and a new family of their own. And then for others, like Seven of Nine and Echeb, they would be homeless, since they had been raised in another quadrant of space. It would be hard to get use to a world so different from what they were use to.

Chakotay sat in his chair beside Janeway, his knee shaking like an electrical storm. The captain chuckled. "Something on your mind?"

The second in command glanced up at his commanding officer. "Oh. It's nothing, just anxious to finally eat some real Earth food again."

Janeway smiled and patted her friend on the back. "Dont worry, I'm sure there'll be plenty at the welcoming party."

"I forgot how many greetings we'll probably get when we land this thing," Chakotay joked. "Not to mention all the awards we'll probably receive, and the gifts. Tom will probably get his own ship just for breaking warp 10."

"Captain," Harry interrupted from his station. "There's an incoming signal from the Starfleet Embassy."

"Open a channel." Janeway sat straighter in her seat and smiled towards the screen.

The faces of Lieutenant Reg Barkley and Admiral Paris appear before the crew, both with excited looks on their faces.

"There is a landing port ready and open for you to land on once you've finished making your flight through San Fransisco. You will be greeted by the Head Counsel and we have made arrangements for living quarters within the Embassy for every one of your crew to live in. Greeting schedules will be sent to everyone before the morning and will list every meet and greet we will put on, including the hour long parade going through The Golden State Park. Have a safe landing and we'll see you on the surface."

The faces disappeared and Chakotay sighed in his seat. "Seems like they've planned this entire Meet and Greet over the past 7 years."

Janeway nodded and stood. "I'm off to see the new child. You have the bridge, commander."

The older man nodded and pushed a few buttons on his console as Janeway stepped into the turbo lift and ordered the computer to head to the deck in which t he Sick Bay was located.

After a few minutes of walking, Janeway entered the Medical Bay with a bright smile plastered on her face. The young couple at the back of the room looked up and hushed the captain as she made her entrance, and Kathryn nodded in understanding. She slowly walked to her Chief Engineer and Pilot and patted Tom on his shoulder.

"Congratulations," She told them with a smile. "Have you decided on a name?"

B'Elanna and Tom looked at each other for a moment, then looked back at Janeway. "We've decided on Miral. The name the future you had called her."

Janeway's eyes flashed with surprise. "Well, that was quick. I was gonna say a list of possible names if you hadn't decided already."

Tom gave an amused sigh. "Of course you were-" his words were interrupted by a sharp jolt to the ship.

The captain gasped and pressed her com badge. "Janeway to the Bridge, what's going on?"

Harry's voice came through the badge. "Captian, we seem to be under attack by one of the ships alongside us. They've fired on five of the other ships as well. Seems like they've gone rogue."

"On my way," Kathryn turned to her pilot. "Sorry to pull you away, but we're gonna need an experienced hand at the helm in case these guys decide on a chase."

Tom nodded reluctantly and kissed his wife goodbye before following his captain to the bridge.


	2. Chapter 2

The captain grunted as the ship jolted again. She pushed herself away from the wall of the turbolift and straightened her shirt. A few moments later, the doors opened and Janeway stalked out onto the bridge and stood beside Seven of Nine behind the captain's chair.

"Commander," She acknowledged Commander Chakotay and looked towards the blank view screen.

Chakotay stood up and faced his commanding officer. "Captain, the Yokamaho has seemed to have turned rogue on the rest of the federation ships beside us."

"Lock phasers onto the engines and wait for my signal, Tuvok," Janeway commanded her lieutenant commander, and the vulcan nodded and did as she said. The captain nodded to Harry. "On screen."

In front of them, the image of a small-ish ship, roughly two/thirds the size of Voyager, appeared firing on three ships opposite of Voyager. A light beeping sound came from tactical station and Kim looked at his captain.

"There's an incoming transmission coming from the ship," He informed her.

Kathryn nodded. "Open a channel."

A few buttons later, a deep voice opened in the bridge. "Lower your weapons and prepare to be boarded."

The captain ignored the voice and asked her own question. "Why are you firing on us?"

"Lower your weapons and prepare to be boarded," The voice repeated, obviously not aware of Janeway's short-temper.

"Not happening. Who are you and what have you done with the crew of the Yokamaho?"

There was a pause. "We are the High Takon. We have shapeshifted into their crew and taken the ship using our Low Takon. Now lower your weapons and prepare to be boarded."

Kim pressed a few buttons on his console and looked back at the captain, who was now standing beside Paris down below. "They've cut off the transmission and aligned their ship above ours."

"Evasive maneuvers, Lieutenant," Janeway turned and sat in her own chair beside Chakotay, who leaned over the middle console.

"Who're the Takon?" He asked, and Janeway sighed.

"The Takon are a highly advanced race who took attempted to take over the Ferengi twenty-three years ago. The federation came in and fought them off, but it looks like they've returned." The captain told him in a low voice. "They have two levels in their society. The High Takon, also known as the Shapeshifters, and the Low Takon, also known as the Communicators."

"Why have I never heard of this before?" He asked.

Janeway didn't look at him and looked up at the view screen. "The mission to destroy them was top secret, since we couldn't take the risk of letting them about our plan. It was more of a secret mission, but once they were disabled lower parts of Starfleet were allowed to know about them."

Chakotay gave her a puzzled look. "But, why keep it a secret after so many years of them being disabled?"

"Because there was a secret weapon involved, and giving away information of weapon, even now, would be very bad. Many of the Counsel still believed that the Takon were on Earth or even Vulcan, so only certain people were given the information in case they were to ever meet up with this race outside of the federation."

The commander nodded and Kim acknowledged his captain. "Captain, they're charging weapons. I've scanned their weapons array and they have photon phasers. One hit and our power would be down by fifty percent."

The captain gave a surprised look and stared back out at the screen. "Scan for any weaknesses. They have to have some weakness." After a few moments, Kim shook his head and waited for Janeway to speak.

Kathryn stared out at the view screen, then sighed. "Power down weapons. Open the docking port and get ready for boarding. Inform the crew we're going to have some unfriendly visitors. Keep all phasers on stun."

Both Tuvok and Kim nodded and made all the necessary arrangements as the captain paced back and forth behind her pilot. Tom noticed and turned to his captain.

"You aren't just going to let them force their ways into our own home, are you?"

"I'm not out of tricks yet, Paris, but for the moment, yes, I am going to let them in. But soon Starfleet HQ will receive the news and send ships to stop the Takons." Her face was a bit flustered, but her voice was filled with confidence. Tom nodded, knowing his captain would know what to do, and turned back to his console to check their location stats.

"Captain," Janeway turned to Kim again. "They've boarded and are now in decks thirteen, nine and eight. There are twenty Takons and more incoming." He looked up from his console. "They're on their way to the bridge."

"Ready phasers and wait for them to bring the conflict to us. Don't do anything to make them angry." The rest of the crew on the bridge nodded and readied all their phasers.

The turbo lift doors opened and Kathryn turned to greet the Takons, and they spread all about the deck, pushing officers away from their consoles and leading them to stand beside their captain. Each Takon looked like a human, except for the four long ridges on their foreheads and the circles on their cheeks. Their uniforms were one pieced and most were full black, but a few of the Takons, the ones without circles on their cheeks, had white from their waist up. The ones with the white stood behind every console and raised their hands over the buttons, while the ones with the black held the guns and herded the Starfleet people into a circle.

One of the Takons stood before the captain and the others and held his hands behind his back. His clothes were completely gray, like he was a mix of both the white and blacks. His eyes darted over the crew until they landed on Janeway, who was cross-armed and very angry.

"You must be the captain of this ship," He nodded to Kathryn. "The captain of the Yokamoho had the exact same amount of buttons on his neck." Kathryn nodded and the Takon paced back and forth. "Captain, I am Geraj, first Chornis of the Takon Zero Fleet. You will order your crew to leave the ship on the escape pods and shuttles. We have taken this ship, and all it's data is ours. Once my Communicators break through the command codes, all the information on the Secret Weapon will be ours."


End file.
